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Formula E: Mitch Evans triumphs in Rome again as title race tightens and multi-car crash causes havoc in Round 13
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Published 15/07/2023 at 20:47 GMT+1
Rome once again proved a happy hunting ground for Mitch Evans as the Jaguar driver claimed his third consecutive win in the Italian capital and his fourth overall. The New Zealander made history by becoming the first driver to claim both pole position and a race win in the Eternal City and he was delighted. However, a scary multi-car crash in Lap 9 caused chaos in Round 13.
Mitch Evans of New Zealand and Jaguar Tcs Racing celebrate the victory of the race of Formula E 2023 Rome E-Prix
Image credit: Getty Images
Mitch Evans’ love affair with the Rome E-Prix continued as the Jaguar driver claimed his third consecutive win in the Italian capital in a race involving a huge multi-car crash.
Evans became the first driver to take pole position and a race victory in Rome as he made Round 13 his own with a fourth career victory on the circuit.
There was important movement in the Drivers’ World Championship battle too, as Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) came second to leapfrog Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) to the top of the standings on 171 points – five clear of the Brit, who finished fourth.
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Maximilian Gunter (Maserati MSG) rounded off the podium in third after an eventful race where six cars were forced out of the race after a big shunt on Lap 9.
Evans said: "We were hoping to break that curse [becoming the first driver to win from pole in Rome].
"Four wins here is amazing, not sure what it is about this place, but I love the track. We obviously have another day tomorrow, and I think people will make another big step, Nick was quick in the race as well.
"It is there for the taking tomorrow but we need to take the right steps, and hopefully we have got a good balance like we had today."
Sam Bird got ahead of his team-mate Evans off the line, before Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) took the lead.
A safety car was needed when Andre Lotterer (Avalanche Andretti) hit the wall, requiring his car to be taken off-track, before the drama on Lap 9.
Bird lost control of the rear of his car and was clipped by Envision’s Sebastien Buemi in a crash that caused race-ending damage to the Swiss driver’s car.
With little visibility on offer in the section of the track where Bird was stopped, Edoardo Mortara (Maserati MSG) smashed into the side of him in a big impact.
There were thankfully no injuries as everyone escaped unhurt, but six cars were forced off.
Dennis took the lead in Lap 13 and looked destined for victory when Evans missed his second 'Attack Mode' activation, but the New Zealander responded with two fastest laps in a row to regain the lead on Lap 22.
Evans cruised home from there, but there will be a lot of work to do overnight for teams affected by the crash as they look to repair their cars ahead of Round 14 on Sunday.
With three rounds remaining, Evans is third in the Drivers’ Championship standings on 151 points, behind Cassidy and Dennis.
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) finished ninth in Rome and sits fourth in the overall standings on 140 points.
The action will continue in Rome on Sunday with Round 14, before the teams head to London for the final weekend of the season at the end of the month.
Rome E-Prix Round 13 results
DNF: Lucas Di Grassi, Edoardo Mortara, Robin Frijns, Sebastien Buemi, Andre Lotterer, Rene Rast, Sam Bird, Antonio Felix Da Costa
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